Santa Barbara Trip
Top: Bobbi Rocco, Jeans: Show Me Your Mumu, Shoes: Marc Fisher, Bag: JW Pei
A couple weeks ago my family took a road trip to Santa Barbara. I had driven through there countless times on the way down to LA or San Diego but never had a chance to stay for more than a few hours. I was extremely impressed and am already planning a trip back! There are so many cute places — definitely way too many to fit into a couple days. We relied heavily on Goop’s travel guide, so I would recommend checking that out as well. Here’s a breakdown of what we did over the course of our five days there:
Where We Stayed
Hotel Milo - This hotel has an amazing location right in front of the beach and near downtown. All of the staff were super friendly, it was clean, and we enjoyed sitting out at the outdoor fire pits every night. However, the amenities were pretty basic and because of the location it can be a bit noisy. So I would recommend Hotel Milo for families or if you want to be in a prime location but not if you’re looking for a more secluded getaway.
Enjoying the fire pits at Hotel Milo
Coffee/Daytime Eats
Jeannine’s - This cute café has multiple locations, but we went to the one on State Street (right by Hotel Milo) almost every morning. We usually got to-go pastries (which were amazing), but they also have a full-on breakfast menu. Be prepared to wait a bit — they only opened at 7:30am and there was already a huge line by the time we got there each morning around 8:30!
Handlebar Coffee Roasters - A nice artisan coffee shop. We walked to the downtown location one morning and had our coffees outside on their outdoor patio.
Honor Bar - Another spot that came recommended from the Goop guide. We only popped in here briefly to grab iced lattes before our drive home around 4:30pm, but there were already a bunch of people sitting outside with drinks. It looked like a fun happy hour vibe for cocktails and appetizers.
Helena Avenue Bakery - A bakery that offers fresh-baked breads and a full breakfast and lunch menu until 2pm. It’s part of the Acme Hospitality group, which also owns The Lark, The Santa Barbara Wine Collective, and a couple other restaurants all located on the corner of Anacapa Street. Helena Avenue Bakery actually shares its location with The Santa Barbara Wine Collective, so you can make two stops in one!
Goat Tree - This café is inside Hotel Californian and offers pastries, brunch, sandwiches, and salads all day. We got sandwiches to-go, but they also have a nice outdoor patio.
Backyard Bowls - A good place for grab-and-go acai bowls and smoothies on State Street.
The outdoor patio at Jeannine’s
Dinner
The Lark - An absolute must! It was an all-around amazing experience and one of the best meals I’ve had in a while. All of the dishes are meant to be shared family style. We shared the brussel sprouts, nectarine and cucumber salad, prawns, fried chicken, and pork belly, and it was all delicious.
Jane - I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to go here, but it does have a convenient location on State Street. It’s more of a no-frills dining experience, and the food was good but not amazing. To be fair, we did go here the night after we went to The Lark, so it was hard for it to compare.
Bettina - A cute Italian restaurant in the Montecito Country Mart. We shared a few pizzas, burrata, and a salad. The only thing that put us off was that the staff were a bit cold.
Flor De Maiz - A good Mexican restaurant with a fun atmosphere. It’s right down the street from Hotel Milo.
The nectarine and cucumber salad from The Lark
The Lark’s cozy outdoor patio
Our cocktails at Bettina
Dessert
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams - A local ice cream shop with locations on State Street and in the Funk Zone. There was a line down the block every night, but it was worth the wait!
Things To Do
Beach - Obviously a pretty popular activity in Santa Barbara. We mainly went to West Beach right across the street from Hotel Milo, but there are plenty more to choose from.
Walks - Given our central location, we did a ton of walking while we were here. In the mornings we would walk on the path by the beach, and in the afternoons we would walk downtown to get lunch or have a look around the stores.
Bike Ride - We were able to rent bikes from our hotel and ride them on the Cabrillo Boulevard Bike Path, which starts at Leadbetter Beach and goes all the way to Montecito.
Wine Tasting - Another activity Santa Barbara is known for. There’s an area called The Funk Zone with several tasting rooms and breweries that’s conveniently located right downtown. We went to the Santa Barbara Wine Collective, which I would highly recommend. It has a very aesthetic location and a great selection of Santa Barbara wines to choose from.
Montecito - The gorgeous city of Montecito is less than a 10 minute drive from downtown Santa Barbara. It definitely has much more to offer, but we just made it over there one afternoon and walked around the Montecito Country Mart and along Coast Village Road. Both areas have upscale clothes and home decor boutiques, including Whiskey & Leather, Angel, and Clic.
The Santa Barbara Wine Collective
A cute store on State Street
